1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an implant for anchoring a prosthesis in the jaw of a patient, having a base body and a post connecting to the top thereof, wherein the post engages with a recess opening of the base body in a positive and non-positive manner and can be firmly connected thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
Where one or several natural teeth need to be replaced, dental implants, which are a means for anchoring dental replacements, such as crowns, bridges or prostheses, are nowadays used in dental medicine. Dental implants within this meaning are pillars which are anchored in the jawbone and function as artificial tooth roots. They are firmly anchored elements which are implanted in the jawbone. They enable individual teeth and dental bridges to be fixed in place without disturbing healthy neighboring teeth. Implantation is a process in which dental implants are firmly anchored by pressing or screwing them into a tooth root cavity previously formed in the jawbone. The implant usually consists of several parts, namely a base body, which forms the anchor proper, a post, which engages with the base body and carries the crown or bridge or prosthesis, and a fixing element which serves to secure the post to the base body.
In a widely used type of implant, the post is fixed in the recess of the base body by means of a fixing screw which runs through the hollow post. In this configuration, the post is provided, for instance, with a hexagonal section facing the base body, which fits accurately into the hexagonal contour of the recess opening of the base body. In the area of its contact faces with the base body, the post is additionally provided with a shoulder which interacts with a matching end the on top of the base body. Here, the objective is to obtain a connection that is as gap-free as possible between the base body and the post to prevent the ingress of bacteria. Such a gap-free interface is generally considered necessary in order to avoid the undesired consequences of an implantation—so-called perioimplantitis. Perioimplantitis may lead to the implant losing its anchor from the jawbone.
Several dental implants with gap-free interfaces are known in the prior art. The known dental implants are partly not satisfactory in terms of resistance to the significant pressures that teeth are subjected to. If the connection between the post and the base body is not perfect, the implant may suffer damage which may lead to micromovements, cause the post to become loose or even damage the base body, so that the implant may lose its functionality in the medium term. If the connection between the post and the base body becomes loose, this may permit bacteria to enter the developing gap between the base body and the post, which may result in the afore-mentioned perioimplantitis.